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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22434361">The Rise Of Rust And Bone</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lwoorl/pseuds/Lwoorl'>Lwoorl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Robot AU, Robot servants, Robots</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 09:35:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,081</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22434361</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lwoorl/pseuds/Lwoorl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Roy and Kory buy a robot to help them around the house.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Roy Harper/Koriand'r, Roy Harper/Koriand'r/Jason Todd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>131</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Love is worth $9,999 exactly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Do I already have other 98 unfinished fics? Yes. Is that going to stop me from starting another one? No.</p><p>My hubris is strong and the weather is clear, move from my path Poseidon, you shall not stop me from reaching Ithaca!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Five digits, the label has five digits. He lifts the price tag of another model nearby. This one has six. </p><p>Roy sighs. </p><p>"That was a deep sigh if I ever heard one." A woman appears next to him. Her uniform has a name tag, <em> 'Linda' </em> it reads. "May I help you?"</p><p>"Just looking." He answers.</p><p>Linda steps around him, tilting her body to look at the price Roy was reading just now. She raises an eyebrow and smirks. "A bit more pricey than you thought, I take it?" </p><p>"That's… A way to put it." </p><p>"You know." She says, pointing at his right arm, where the gap between his shirt and glove reveals shining metal. "We give discounts if you buy multiple products. That's Queen tech, right? Have you thought of switching? Ours is more discreet." </p><p>Roy suppresses the impulse to pull from his sleeve to hide it, suddenly self conscious. "I like this one." He says, left arm rubbing the metallic one over his clothes. "But thanks for the offer."</p><p>Perhaps noticing she's starting to bring the dear customer gracious a bit into the uncomfortable side, Linda takes a step back, arms behind her back and polite clerk mask back on.</p><p>"May I know what you're looking for?" She asks, conversation back to what Roy's actually looking to buy.</p><p>"Extra help around the house, mostly." He answers.</p><p>"It would really help to know specifics. Any particular task you want it to perform? Maybe you hate to do the dishes, or have someone at home who needs specialized care, or would like it to double as a secretary." She smiles, head tipping to one side, like a bird. "It's like I always say, a good android is like a wedding dress! You ought to make sure to pick one that fits you, otherwise the wedding is ruined!" </p><p>"That's a weird saying…"</p><p>"Perhaps." She shrugs. "But we pride of giving our customers products meant to last a lifetime, as such, you would want to make sure the one you pick is perfect for you. The more I know, the more I can help. Do you have pets? Kids? How big is your house?" </p><p>Roy stands there for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek. At the end he decides a professional consultant probably knows more than he does. "We have a kid." He finally answers. "She's kind of the reason why we're getting one, actually."</p><p>"Oh?" </p><p>"Her name's Lian, she's six, almost seven. She used to live with her mother- My ex" He quickly adds. "A month ago Lian came to live with me and my wife. We both work full time jobs and have always been bad keeping track of shores to begin with, and getting a nanny we both trust has been difficult too. We agreed getting an android might help."</p><p>Linda nods, her hand coming to rest under her chin and her eyes casted to a side, like she's deep in thought. After ten seconds or so she looks back at him, her smile back in place. "So, you need an unit able to do housework and take care of a kid. It will stay at home, and will need to perform its functions mostly unsupervised and unassisted. An android able to make its own choices identifying what work needs to be done would be best. Am I right?" </p><p>Roy nods. "That's pretty much it, yes."</p><p>"What would be our budget? Not very high, for what I can see." Linda asks. Kind of bluntly, but the way she says it doesn't sound mean, just sincere.</p><p>Roy thinks it over for a moment, and nearly conciderates calling Kory to ask, but it's not like they didn't discuss it already, so at the end he settles with "We would like to see different price ranges. But… Something below the five digits if possible, and we definitely can't afford something on the six." </p><p>"Well, I actually have an alternative that might adjust to exactly what you need." Linda pats Roy's right shoulder, big grin on her face. "We have great domestic units, but if what you really want is one that can interact with a human child, what you really want is a used model." </p><p>"...Is that so?" He raises an eyebrow.</p><p>"Of course! Robots are like pizza crust, they just get better with time!"</p><p>"That's not true at all." Roy tells her. Linda shrugs. </p><p>"All our units are programed to imitate humans as soon as they're powered on for the first time, of course." She begins to explain. "But it always takes one or two years for it to start to truly blend in. After we repair any unit that comes back to us, we prefer to let them keep their records for this reason. That way you can skip most of the initial adaptation process." </p><p>"Shouldn't that make them more expensive? Since they're… <em> 'trained' </em> or something?" </p><p>"Oh, no, of course no." Linda lets go of a short laugh, shaking her head. "Since we keep their records there's much less you can do in terms of customizing its personality. But since what you're looking for is a domestic helper I assure you, we have those by the dozen! I'm sure you'll find one that suits you. It might be a little worn down, but we make sure to only sell those we bring back to an acceptable level. And since it isn't meant for any outdoor activities, it shouldn't be a problem!... You don't have a garden, do you?" </p><p>"No, we don't." </p><p>"Well, there you have it!" She exclaims, putting her hands together. "You want your daughter to feel she's being raised by a person, not a machine. And this will lower the price considerably too, you're killing two birds with one rubber bullet!" </p><p>"I dunno, would it really make much of a difference? At the end, it's still a robot…" He trails off. </p><p>Kory is convinced they won't have to hire a nanny this way... Roy, well, he isn't so sure. He definitely wants the help with the shores, and cooking, and everything else, but how good can a <em> thing </em> be taking care of a kid? Trained or not, it's not like they will stop being able to tell it isn't alive. </p><p>Linda isn't faced by the question, her smile intact. "Well." She says, a glint in her eyes. "It's not like you have noticed I'm not human, have you?" </p><p>"I- No way." </p><p>At his reaction Linda just laughs. She moves to pull up her shirt and shows Roy her stomach, where a <em> 'Made by Infinity' </em>inscription lies under the double ouroboros logo. </p><p>"Although I must inform you, dear customer." She winks. "I'm afraid I'm not for sale."  </p><p>"No, ah, I wouldn't dare…" He tries to amend, raising his hands in surrender. He shouldn't feel like he offended her, she isn't human anyway, but somehow the mix up leaves him embarrassed. </p><p>"No problem, no problem." Linda swaps a hand dismissively. "Tricks everyone every time!" </p><p>"I… Can see why."</p><p>"Well then." She concludes, fixing her uniform back in place. "Allow me to guide you to the back, we keep all the second hand products there." </p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>wake up;</p><p>hello world start;</p><p>users{</p><p>  Roy Harper:</p><p>        Roy, Harper</p><p>        male pronouns</p><p>  Kory Anders:</p><p>        Kory </p><p>        female pronouns </p><p>        Miss;</p><p>  Lian Harper:  </p><p>        Lian</p><p>           nicknaming allowed</p><p>        female pronouns</p><p>        restricted permissions</p><p>          child restrictions in place;</p><p>}</p><p>Wait, no that's wro—</p><p>identify users; </p><p>Jason looks down, where Lian is staring at him with big, round eyes. </p><p>"Hello." He greets.</p><p>"He's awake!" Lian gasps, running to the other side of the room, grabbing Roy by the hem of his pants and pointing at him "Daddy, he woke up!" </p><p>"He sure did sweetheart." Roy laughs, coming to a stop in front of Jason. He scratches the inside of his right arm as he asks. "Um, hello Jason, how are you doing?" </p><p>"I'm alright, thank you." He answers alongside smile #326. It's not one he necessarily favors, but it's a good one for introductions, neutral, nice.</p><p>Miss Kory's sitting on a chair at his right. She waves at him, he waves back. </p><p>identify working area; </p><p>Going through the living space is quite easy. It's small, at least compared to his last owner's. Roy, Miss Kory and Lian live in an apartment near the center of Star city. Three bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, living room, and a tiny, doorless laundry room at the end of the hallway. He isn't allowed past the glass door that leads to the balcony, which is stupid. </p><p>Oh well, he will just have to make sure Lian doesn't go there when her parents aren't around.</p><p>By the time he's done going through all the rooms, he's managed to catalogue a list of at least fifty things that need to be cleaned, repaired, or overall just worked on in the near future. The apartment has not a single cabinet with a safety latch on it, that's childproofing 101 right there. </p><p>"Are you, um, done already?" Roy asks once he walks back into the living room, his left hand is still pressing against his prosthetic. By now Jason's reasonably sure he can save that particular tell as a sign of discomfort, first time owner nervousness for sure. Come to think of it one of Jason's first owners acted like that for an entire week after he came there too, didn't he? </p><p>"I think I have seen everything I needed to so far." </p><p>hello world end;</p><p>"That's great, Jason." Miss Kory says, coming to rest a hand on his shoulder. "I hope you can feel at home with us." </p><p>Nod #7. Pause. Smile #298, headtilt #76. "Thank you, Miss Kory."</p><p>She smiles back before leaving him and going back to sit on the couch, reading a magazine.</p><p>"At what time do you normally have dinner?" Jason asks to the room at large. It's 5pm. </p><p>"We... Don't really have a set hour for meals." Roy informs him. </p><p>Jason does <em> not </em>frown #803, even though he wants to. Instead, he asks. "What are you planning on eating for today?" </p><p>"We're gonna eat burgers!" Lian exclaims from where she's watching the TV. Both Roy and Miss Kory grimace, just a bit. </p><p>Ah, is this what they usually eat? So maybe the wall of numbers for takeout taped to the kitchen wall isn't just for show. Busy life? Maybe they just don't know how to cook. He fills that hypothesis to figure out later. </p><p>"That's not the most healthy thing to eat." He <em> does </em>frown at that, just not #803, that's too aggressive, instead he goes with #251, quickly followed by smile #2 and raisedeyebrow #13 as he says "Why don't you allow me to make something with the ingredients I saw in the fridge instead?" </p><p>Miss Kory and Roy seem perceptive to the idea. Although, perhaps expectedly, Lian pouts. "But I want a burger!" She complains. Her parents look at each other worriedly. </p><p>Oh, maybe they just have been eating takeout because that's what Lian likes.</p><p>They're… Kind of incompetent, aren't they? At least that's the impression Jason's getting.</p><p>"Come on kiddo, you will be surprised with how much better my food is than some oily hamburger!" He tells her, smile #67, gesture #706 and #23, wink #38, followed by posture #310 "Say, what is your favorite non-takeout food? Bet you I can make it for today." </p><p>Lian frowns at him for exactly 12.5 seconds, before crossing her arms in front of her and muttering. "...Mom used to make pasta bolognese." </p><p>Roy and Miss Kory go still, just a moment, less than a second<em> . </em>Huh. Miss Kory's filled in his register as Lian's mom, but then again, it's normal for people to put wrong information when first entering their data on a new household android. He will just have to ask later. "Gotcha!" Thumbsup #4, smile #509, posture #21. And he gets to work. </p><p>Two hours later the three of them are sitting in the kitchen, plates of pasta in front of them, alongside a green salad and garlic bread. Miss Kory takes a bite and blinks. "This is really good." She says, smiling at him, he smiles #62 back. </p><p>"Thank you Miss Kory." </p><p>Her husband doesn't say anything, but given by how he's already halfway through his portion Jason's going to assume that's a win too. </p><p>That leaves Lian. She stares at her plate with suspicion, until, encouraged by the adults' enthusiasm, she takes a bite. Once she does, she looks… Sad. </p><p>"Anything wrong, Lian?" Jason asks, already going through possible mistakes he could have made. His information on the kid doesn't include any allergies but as previously shown, people often put in incomplete or downright wrong data, maybe he should— Lian shakes her head.</p><p>"It's better than my mom's" she answers, taking a second bite. The obvious <em> 'It's just not like hers' </em>left hanging, loud and clear not only to him, judging by the way Roy and Miss Kory look at each other. </p><p>Jason wants to sigh #58, but he refrains from. The kid's mom is probably dead or something, he should ask later. Whatever the case, there's not much he can do about it.</p><p>So at the end of the day it was a 2/3 score. Not his best, but definitely not his worst, and Lian ends eating everything anyway. It's fine, he still barely knows these owners, it's to be expected. Give him a week and he's going to set this household straight if it kills him. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, comments are the fuel that keeps me going.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Pareidolia and the uncanny valley</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Do not think I wrote this quickly, do not get your hopes high, I had some chapters finished before I even starting posting this story and even though I wanted to space them out nicely my need for serotonin won</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jason is very helpful. That shouldn't be surprising at all, after all, that's what they got him for... But Kory still has a hard time wrapping her head around it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's been just a week, and this is her life now: Her blinking white and green vision wakes her up, and the nice smell of food can be felt from the bedroom. Escaping from Roy's arms without waking him up, she makes her way to the kitchen table, where a glass of juice, bread, cheese, and a bowl with salad are already set.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good morning Miss Kory." Jason greets her, placing a plate of something delicious in front of her. "I took the liberty of trying a new recipe today, I hope it's of your liking." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sure it'll be great, Jason." She says, sinking her fork into what looks like an omelette with onions and sliced mushrooms and who knows what else. It's obviously way better than anything she could make. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as she's finished Jason retrieves the plate and takes it to the sink to clean. She sits on the couch, the curtains already drawn open, the morning newspaper resting on the coffee table. She hasn't finished reading the first title as Jason brings her a cup of scalding coffee, exactly as she likes it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Around the time she's finished her coffee Roy and Lian finally wake up, shambling into the kitchen with their hair standing in all directions, not for the first time reminding her why it's a good thing she's a morning person. Jason serves them their food, taking the time to cut Lian's toast in triangles and pouring the milk in her favorite mug as they all make small talk for the one or two articles she still hasn't read. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's honestly amazing to think how smoothly mornings go now. No longer than a week ago it would go something like…</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Are you sure we don't have milk?" Kory asks, concentration split between making sure the eggs don't burn and starting the damn coffee maker. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I don't see anything." Roy answers, head completely inside the fridge now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kory sighs, moving to take a look, shoving Roy aside. There's, in fact, no milk. She does however find a carton of orange juice halfway full. She's serving a glass when Lian exclaims "Kory, the eggs!" </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Fuck!" She swears, running to attend the pan where breakfast lies scorched.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Dad, Kory said a bad word!" Lian gasps, Kory is too busy seeing if she can save anything from the pan to answer. She can't, it's all black by now, red warnings popping up all over it. "Dad!" Lian insist, now moving to pull from Roy's arm. "Kory said the F word!"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"And she's very sorry little bug, remember, that's a bad thing and you shouldn't imitate it, right Kory?"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Oh, oh my, yes Lian, I'm very, very sorry." She absently responds, opening the pantry to see if she can find anything edible. There's a stack of granola bars and that will have to do for now. She places one in front of Lian and the kid makes a face. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I'm sorry Lian." She apologizes, opening one bar for herself. 'Expiration date 01/04/03' appears in one corner of her sight as she takes a bite. "Bear with it for today, please? There's nothing else at the moment." </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Lian watches as her dad takes a bar for himself and then, and only then, opens her own and starts eating through it. She's halfway done when Kory's vision blinks red and the kill bill sirens come from Roy's arm, it's an alarm telling them they should be heading out NOW. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Shit!" She swears again. Roy calls her out this time.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Kory!"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I'm sorry!" </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Between the two of them they manage to put Lian's clothes on in record time. "I haven't showered!" The kid points out, but there's really not time for that at this point. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Taking Lian in her arms, Roy quickly runs out of the apartment, they really, really don't have the time to drive her to school if they lose the bus. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kory falls on the couch with a big sigh as her entire body deflates, finally finding an instant of peace… That is. Until she looks at her right. Where Lian left her backpack.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Roy wait!" She call, running after them, bag in hand. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory almost shivers at the memory. Certainly, a notable difference. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>While Roy and Lian finish their breakfast she goes to the bathroom, which is, as expected, spotless and shiny, with her bathrobe hanging from the knob, still warm from the dryer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Half an hour later they're all ready for the day, and Jason hands Lian her lunchbox the exact moment the alarm goes off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You should be good." He says, moving to open the door. Roy nods and takes Lian's hand. "Jason's right, let's go sweetheart." Before the two of them walk out, no rush this time, there's enough time to </span>
  <em>
    <span>calmly</span>
  </em>
  <span> walk to the bus stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I should be going too." Kory says, after a quick look at the hallway mirror, just to make sure her makeup is all in place. Next to her image, all the checkmarks go green. Perfect. She grins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The weather forecast predicts light rain today so I put an umbrella in your bag, I hope that's ok, Miss Kory." Jason says as he hands her her handbag. A small gray cloud at the bottom of her field of view proves his words. "I didn't prepare a lunchbox since you told me you would eat at the subway near the office, but I added a package of the rice cookies you like." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you." She answers, moving to exit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Truly, it's like she took off a builder from her shoulders she didn't know she was carrying. Since Lian moved with them everything had been downright chaotic, but, even before that, it's not like neither she nor Roy were good at keeping their house from looking like a disaster zone unless they had visitors. And now they can eat wonderful food and live in a clean house, and don't worry when leaving Lian home for a date night once or twice for the week, all for the price of a cheap car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jason." She calls, halfway through opening the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Infinity has to step up their advertising game. Had I known what I was missing I would have bought you two years ago!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Um, thanks?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the door closes behind her, Kory feels lighter and more ready to face the day that she's felt in forever. "Actually. Make it five years ago." Truly, the best purchase she's ever made.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy wakes up sometime during the night, breathing hard and eyes wide open, the vague memory of a nightmare lingering over him. Nothing concrete, just, a feeling like if something awful just happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reaches towards the body at his left. Kory is warm and solid, the soft skin under his hands a pleasant sensation. He rests his head on her shoulder, their legs barely touching, and breathes. He calms down easily, the remains of the nightmare washed away under the soft blankets and the smell of Kory's shampoo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>...No matter how hard he tries it, he can't go back to sleep though. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he leaves a kiss on Kory's cheek and leaves the bed. He washes his face on the bathroom sink, then walks into the kitchen, snatches a bag of chips from the pantry, gets a glass of water–</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've been expecting you." A shadow says from behind him and Roy startles bad enough he lets go of the glass.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Holy shit dude!"</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Jason laughs, moving to leave the water on the table, having catched it midair. "Sorry, sorry." He says. "I thought it would be funny." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You almost gave me a heart attack man!" Roy exclaims, a hand on his chest, the other a fist around the popped bag. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I won't do it again, sorry." Jason repeats, not sounding sorry at all. He picks the chips that fell to the floor then takes the package from Roy's hand. "You know, if you were hungry there's chicken leftovers from dinner, I could have made you a sandwich or something." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, I'm just taking a walk." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right." He rolls his eyes, moving to open the fridge. Jason retrieves the chicken, onions, tomatoes and other stuff, and gets to work. Roy sighs, sitting on a chair nearby, and a couple of minutes later the sandwich is left on the table in front of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He picks it up and bites. It's perfect, obviously. Chicken, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, mustard. He frowns. "How did you know I don't like lettuce?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hm?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lettuce." Roy repeats. "I know we still have some. I don't like it, but I never told anyone, not even Kory knows." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, it's true you don't avoid it when it's on your plate." Jason smiles like Roy just told him a great compliment. "But you also won't go for it on your own. Yesterday you didn't touch the salad, even though it had the dressing you like." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, it was almost all leaves..." Roy mutters, going for another bite. He prides on not being a picky eater and the fact the robot noticed so easily there </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> things he doesn't like bothers him, just a bit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, the robot, in general, bothers him a little more than a bit. He keeps eating his sandwich, and at the same time stares at Jason as he goes for a broom to sweep the floor for any remainders of potato chips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's stupid, Roy knows that, being bothered by Jason is like getting mad at a new and perfectly functional washing machine. Because he's fucking perfect, isn't he? He cleans and cooks and remembers every single one of Lian's convoluted eating habits (And Roy's too, apparently) Roy should be overjoyed! Parroting about how this was the best purchase ever, just like Kory is! ...But he just can't. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason looks human, no matter how he looks at it, and yet he isn't, and that kind of freaks him out, not being able to tell. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a while Roy was waiting, waiting for some sort of tic, an error, some glitch or whatever that could give it away. At first, there didn't seem to be anything, his act perfect down to his facial expressions to the point Roy almost gave up looking, but then, three days in, he finally got it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy came home early because a vintage motorcycle a client wanted restored ended needing less work than he originally thought. He entered the living room and found Jason sitting on the couch, his gaze lost looking at something far away, a fly walking on one of his eyes. When the android went back to normal half an hour later, Roy didn't ask what that was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought that would solve the issue, there, proof this isn't a human! Now he could relax and leave Jason go around the apartment like an oversized roomba, but at the end it just made it worse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His original worries were put to rest, sure, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>'Is he really not a human? He looks like a human, what if he's a human? He looks so real is he really not a human?' </span>
  </em>
  <span>But apparently being around a thing he knows for a fact is impersonating a person is just as creepy as not being sure. Jason doesn't act like a robot, he jokes, makes small talk, and apparently can pull off pranks too, a part of Roy instinctively wants to treat him like a person, and yet he isn't, he's an empty… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Something,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and that gets to his nerves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have been meaning to ask something." Jason speaks, pulling Roy out of his thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's it?" He says, bringing the last bit of sandwich to his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What happened to Lian's mother?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy blinks, not expecting that. "Why do you want to know?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just seems like something I should know." Jason shrugs, moving to wash the plate Roy was eating from. "Since I'll be staying here." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I guess." Roy sighs. "She's called Jade, she's my ex. They threw her in prison and Lian came to live with us." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why did they arrest her?" Jason asks, his attention focused on him and his expression open, like a human, even though behind that he's surely running some code updating his information or whatever, not feelings, no care. Whatever. Roy shrugs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Contraband, or something, I always forget the details."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Does Lian know?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"More or less." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Harper, you're amazing at explaining stuff, did you know that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shut up." Roy scoffs, and goes back to bed without sparing another word for the machine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory stirs as he gets back under the covers. "Hmm…" She mutters "Whatcha' were you doing?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just taking a walk." He whispers, his hand traveling over Kory's real, human waist. It's nice, he thinks, lying with a person, and as he falls asleep Roy soon forgets the unpleasantness of living with something that </span>
  <em>
    <span>isn't. </span>
  </em>
  <span>For now, at least. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always pls remember to comment</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Black mirror but it's that one heartwarming episode they put out every 6 seasons or so.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Me: Ok Lwoorl, you have 3 chapters written in advance. So if you publish them like one or two weeks apart from one another you'll have plenty of time to work on more.</p><p>Also me:</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It starts with a small mistake. A tiny slip up. Lian asks to go to the park. Kory is at work, it's Roy's free day, it's cold outside, the house is comfy, one of his favorite movies is playing on the TV, and he thinks he might have gotten a cold. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Lian wants to go to the park.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So Roy doesn't think it much, he just says "Why don't you go with Jason instead?" And that's all it takes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn't even notice the problem he's caused until a couple of days later, when the ice cream truck can be heard nearby. "Ice cream!" Lian exclaims, shooting out of her room. Roy sighs, It's still cold outside, but it's not tick scarf-cold, it's not snowing-cold, and then again, there's never been such a thing as too cold for ice cream-cold. So Roy goes to put on his shoes, awaiting for the moment his daughter will come to him, pulling from his hand and insisting to go with her to buy some. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What a surprise it is, then, when instead she goes to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>android, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and barely sparing her dad a glance asks "Can I go with Jason for ice cream?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy stares. "Jason doesn't eat though?" He points out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, I don't mind accompanying her." Jason smiles at him, and Lian smiles too, and, well, it's not like Roy can tell her no.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"...Sure." And so it begins.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After that, it's like Lian's constantly asking to go do stuff with Jason. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Can I go with Jason to the botanic garden?" "Can Jason be the one to drop me there?" "Jason is ok with going with me, right?"</span>
  </em>
  <span> Over and over and </span>
  <em>
    <span>over</span>
  </em>
  <span> again. While it's not like she's </span>
  <em>
    <span>completely</span>
  </em>
  <span> ignoring him, she still accepts to go with him when he offers and acts just the same at home, Roy's time with his daughter is certainly cut in half, and that gets to his nerves. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because, well, Lian's always been clingy, not leaving his side for a second whenever she comes to visit. And while he gets how actually living here instead of only coming on weekends is bound to lower the kid's need to spend time with her dad, it still hurts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fact she chooses </span>
  <em>
    <span>the machine </span>
  </em>
  <span>doesn't help matters. If she was spending time at a friend's house, he would get it. If she was spending time with Kory, he would even be happy, taking it as a sign she's acclimating to Jade's absence. But instead it's the fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>robot.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Not another person, but the piece of plastic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's </span>
  <em>
    <span>humiliating. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His kid seems to like spending time with the thing they brought to clean the floor as much or even more than her own dad. But he can't say no, not when he doesn't have good reasons to say no, not when it would make him the bad guy of the story. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a month or so later, after she asks to bring Jason to a friend's birthday party, he starts honest to God fantasizing about taking a hammer to that thing's head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not that he would ever do that, the warranty wouldn't cover it.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>"What did you bring for lunch today?" Tommy asks as he sits next to Lian, his own peanut butter sandwich in his hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I dunno." She shrugs. "Haven't opened it yet." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, what are you waiting for?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm doing it, I'm doing it." She rolls her eyes, moving to retrieve her lunchbox from her bag. Her fingers are about to remove the lid when the box is snatched from her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's a dog!" Tommy gasps, holding her lunchbox just where Lian can't see it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't do that!" She exclaims, moving to snatch it back. "And let me see!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Woah, ok, ok!" Tommy gives up as soon as Lian grasps his wrist, passing it back. "Don't punch me!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I wasn't gonna punch you." She huffs, finally looking into the box. "Woah, it's a dog!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lunchbox is divided in two by a barrier of carrots, one half filled with pulled pork, white rice piled on top to make the snout and the ears, black olives for the eyes and nose. The other half, a bunch of vegetables cut in flowers and stars, and in one corner five cherries inside a pink, heart shaped silicone cup. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What did Lian's parents give her today?" Sofi asks, suddenly appearing beside them, taking a seat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's a dog!" Tommy exclaims, at the same time Lian answers "Not my parents." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, right, wasn't it your nanny?" Sofi hums, as Tommy shows her the lunch. "Oh, it's a dog." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jason isn't my nanny, he's an andaroid!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Android. It's android, like the phone." Tommy tells her, she flicks his nose. "Hey!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's an android."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Isn't that like the things that take your order at McDonalds?" Sofi asks, Lian frowns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jason isn't like that, he's, like, normal!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The androids at McDonalds are creepy." Tommy shivers. "Is he creepy like that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He isn't!" Lian insists. "He's normal, he speaks normal!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is he though?" Sofi raises an eyebrow, Lian takes her lunch back and sinks her fork into the dog's nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He is!"  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I dunno Lian." Tommy says. "Maybe you're too used to weirdos to know, your mom was creepy too—"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm going to fucking murder you!" Lian screams, throwing herself at Tommy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Miss Andrew, Lian said a bad word!" Sofi exclaims, standing up and running to look for the teacher. "Oh, and she's also trying to kill Tom. Again." </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>When the bus leaves Lian home Kory's waiting for her. Lian hides her hands inside her pocket and Kory doesn't notice as she walks with her into the building. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Go change your clothes." Kory tells her, giving Lian's shounders a squeeze "Jason made these </span>
  <em>
    <span>amazing</span>
  </em>
  <span> roasted chickpeas, ask him to give you some." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"O-kay." She nods, and moves to do just that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she comes out of her room Kory's speaking on the phone in the living room, her dad isn't home yet. Jason's in the bathroom, replacing the roll of toilet paper. "Hey there baby bird." He greets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kory said you made snacks?" She asks, even as Jason comes to mess up her hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Chickpeas." He nods, moving to the kitchen and serving her some in a little bowl. She tries one, it's crunchy and tastes sweet, like sugar and cinnamon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can I have an apple with peanut butter too?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course." Jason answers, picking an apple from the bowl near the window. "Horizontal slices, right?" He checks, holding a knife against the fruit, showing her how he would cut it. Lian nods and soon enough she's given a plate with half an apple in round slices, the peanut butter spread on top in a way it doesn't cover the center. The holes from the seeds have fused together into a star, that means good luck. She smiles and quickly starts making her way through it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Something to drink? I made tomato soup just for you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes please!" Lian exclaims, spitting a bit of food in the process. Jason cleans her mouth with a napkin first, then moves to take a jar of soup out the fridge. "In the fancy teacup!" She reminds him, even as he's already pouring in just that. Soon enough everything's served, and Jason keeps himself busy organizing things in the pantry while she eats.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She's swallowing the last bit of her after school snacks when Jason sits next to her. "How was school?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Normal." She shrugs. Jason raises an eyebrow, then moves to take hold of her right hand, holding it up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Really? Because those are human teeth marks you got here."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're bad." Lian huffs, pulling her hand out of Jason's grasp, he sighs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Want to talk about it?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nope!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Fair." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason insist on putting a rainbow bandaid on it, but otherwise doesn't push, and so Lian leaves him to go watch TV in the living room. Her dad comes home after that, he leaves a kiss on her hair and asks about her day, but she's too focused on this episode of pokemon to pay him attention and soon he leaves her be. When the episode ends, there's a commercial for a movie, a scene in which a kid is flying a kite. She turns off the TV. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lian's dad is in his and Kory's room, sitting at the desk, drawing something weird in his sketchbook. She hugs him and he hugs her back. "Hi." She greets. "What are you doing?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's a concept for an engine…" He moves to allow Lian to sit on his lap as he begins to explain. At the end she doesn't understand anything, but it's still fun. When he asks about the bandaid on her hand, she says she fell while playing hide and seek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sofi is gonna go fly kites with her sister tomorrow." She says at some point after her dad finished talking about valves and horse power. "She said I could come too, can I?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't see why not." Her dad says. "Tomorrow's Saturday, right?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yep. It will be in the morning." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hm. Ok then." He agrees with a nod. "Call Sofi and let her know you'll be coming." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can I go with Jason?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her dad pauses. Stares at her. Blinks. "...Sure." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks!" She beams. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Later that day, a little before dinner, when everyone is in the living room she dials Sofia's number and asks to speak with her. "I'm gonna go tomorrow to fly kites." She says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's nice, have fun." Sofi answers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What hour should I go?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't know? Whenever you want?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sounds like a plan, don't be late!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wait... Are you asking me to go too?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ten in the morning then?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lian you know I have piano lessons on Saturday."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks Sofi, see you tomorrow!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ok, bye!" She hangs up. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>"I got into a fight with Tommy." Lian tells him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They're sitting on a bank in a park nearby her friend's place. Jason sighs #23. At this point, it's very obvious Lian lied to get out of the house, not that it wasn't obvious since yesterday, Sofia Ward has piano classes every weekend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He will have to tell Roy, or maybe Miss Kory. Yeah, Jason decides he will tell them sometime within the next 7 days. He's going to wait for a good moment to bring it up though, when the kid isn't present, otherwise it might end bad. He's pretty sure Lian doesn't think she did anything wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And he bit you?" He asks. Lian nods. "Who started?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He started!" She proclaims, although the way she squeezes her eyes tells another story. Lian always squeezes her eyes when lying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason doesn't point it out, instead asking "What did he do?" Alongside smile #142</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"...He said something bad about my mom."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah." frown #510, headtilt #2 "What did he say?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He said she's weird and creepy." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And you punched him." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I didn't punch him!" She exclaims, turning towards him. He goes with raisedeyebrow #19 and smirk #3. She holds his gaze for exactly 5 seconds, then quickly looks away. "I punched him."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And he bit you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He bit me." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Want to talk about it?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"...Yes." </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>"Next time Lian asks you to go out with her, I want you to tell her no." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason stares at him for a moment, his face has a blank expression for a second, and then he smiles and says. "Understood." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy waits. But Jason doesn't say anything else, just goes back to folding clothes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aren't you going to ask why?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I believe that would be uncalled for." Jason answers, not bothering to look up from what he's doing. Roy frowns. "And you aren't going to argue against that?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I believe that would be uncalled for." He repeats, in the exact same tone of voice and intonation. Roy groans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"See, this is why I don't like she getting attached to you!" He exclaims, his hand pulling from his own hair. "You don't– I don't want Lian believing a fucking object who doesn't care about her is her friend!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason pauses. He finishes folding a shirt, puts it aside, and looks up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I care about Lian."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right, sure."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason sighs and crosses his arms, a frown on his face. "Harper what do you want me to do?" He says, and his tone is harsher than the one Roy knows, different from the calm, friendly voice he's come to expect. It almost makes him take a step back. "You just gave me an order, so I'll follow it. Doesn't matter what I think about it. Do you want me to argue? I can argue if you want to." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, what's your opinion then? Let's hear what the toaster has to say." He scoffs. Jason looks unimpressed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think that's a bad idea, and it will make Lian feel bad." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh and you care so much about Lian, don't you?" He says, words dripping with sarcasm. "But I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> if we weren't registered in your system you wouldn't give a shit what happened to any of us. Weren't you an used model? You don't seem to care at all about your old household, haven't even mentioned them once." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason sighs, suddenly coming towards him. This time Roy </span>
  <em>
    <span>does</span>
  </em>
  <span> take a step back. Jason puts a hand on his shoulder before he can take a second one. "Roy." He says, and the intensity with which he pronounces that single syllable almost startles him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"...What?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> care about Lian."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy's about to answer something similar to his previous answer, that Jason's a machine, that he can't understand those emotions. But then he meets his eyes and pauses, suddenly unsure.  "Do… You?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I mean…" Jason's body deflates, letting go of him. "Well, how would you define caring about someone?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What kind of question is that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Harper, I'm trying to prove a point here." Jason rolls his eyes. "Bear with me for five minutes, can you?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right…" Roy has no idea what Jason's trying to achieve with this, but, he supposes it can't hurt. "It's when you want to spend time with someone, and want them to be happy, and safe, wanting to do what's best for them, that's what caring is."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well then, who would have said it you just recited what I was made for!" Jason shrugs. Roy frowns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's different."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How? I was made to take care of people, as such, I want to take care of people, so I take care of people. I want Lian to be happy and safe and to spend time around her, that sounds like what you described."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's programing, not real care."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why can't it be both?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What kind of question is that?" Roy presses his hands together, left hand closing around his right wrist,  the frustration and anger returning. "Isn't that obvious? Your code tells you what to do, it isn't really coming from you! So it's not real! You don't really want to see Lian happy, you just want to comply with your programing!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, I'm not trying to start a fight or anything." Jason says, but the way he smiles makes Roy doubt the sincerity of his words. "But if you think about it, everything humans do comes from the need to get food. Simple organism needs to find food, it develops and starts living in groups because cooperation makes finding food easier. Group survives longer if organisms protect each other, now developed organism starts protecting those around it, and that's what eventually turns into what you call care. So, if you go by that logic, humans don't really care about others, they just want food."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy thinks that over. The explanation is overly simplistic, and obviously there were more factors in the evolution of humans that molded the species' behavior, but he gets what Jason's arguing for. It's akin to pointing out emotions are the result of chemicals in the brain, or explaining the sociological origin of some actions. At the end, it just boils down to the fact love didn't come to be for love's sake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seeing Roy isn't going to argue against his explanation, Jason goes on to say. "I want to see Lian happy, same as I want to see you and Miss Kory happy. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> this is true. Does where it come from invalidate it? You don't seem to think less of your own feelings just for their evolutionary origin. Humans follow a code, machines follow a code, and everything is still real in the end." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"...Jason."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's it?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have been wondering ever since we bought you but…" Roy takes a deep breath "Are you… Alive?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What do you mean by 'alive'?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, you know what I mean!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, Harper, I actually don't" He raises an eyebrow. "There's a bunch of ways to define aliveness. If you mean if I grow and reproduce, no. If you mean if I'm organic, no. If you mean do I react to stimuli and seek self preservation... Kind of? Half of your concepts have no meaning to me, be specific or stop asking." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy sighs, thinking how to rephrase the question to something meaningful. He knows Jason 'thinks', the same way you can say a computer thinks, and he obviously can process new information to generate some form of output. So, what he really worries about is more… "I guess what I'm really asking is, do you feel emotions? Do you have feelings? Like, happiness, sadness, anger?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't know."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Now you're just pulling my leg." He frowns, ready to finish the conversation. Jason raises a hand gesturing for him to be patient.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not, really." He says, almost apologetic. "I don't know what being a human is like, and you don't know what being a robot is like either. When things go how I want, I experience something, but I can't be sure that's what happiness is for a human. When I want things to be different, I can't know if that's sadness or anger.  After all, how to tell? I know I have preferences, goals and </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe</span>
  </em>
  <span> desires, but feelings?" He shrugs "No idea." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy's shoulders drop and he huffs. He supposes that makes sense. However, something about what Jason just said got his attention. "You say you have preferences though?" He asks. "Likes and dislikes? Like what?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, I like reading, for one thing."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That isn't related with your function." It isn't really a question, just a statement. He was expecting something like 'i like to cook' or 'I like to clean', not that those aren't acceptable hobbies, it's just... He supposed he would get something related to what he's actually made to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason grins, as if he found Roy's surprise </span>
  <em>
    <span>hilarious. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It makes Roy feel  little self conscious so he averts his gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I see your surprise, and I raise you this idea." Jason starts. "Maybe it's so I can make interesting conversation with my owner, that's a passable enough theory, right? Everything I do is based on my primary functions one way or another, although I admit sometimes the connection is hard to see. I, for example, like more physical copies of books than digital ones, except for Poe and Austen, those I like digital. And honestly? I have no idea why." He throw his arms up, as if saying </span>
  <em>
    <span>'Who knows!'</span>
  </em>
  <span>  "If you want I could always run a scan of how exactly that ties together with everything else. It might take a while though."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, leave it like that." He shakes his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you ok Roy? You seem pale." Jason asks, even though he's smiling, not looking concerned at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I just have a lot to think about. I think…" He replies, already moving to leave the room. "I'll let you be for now, ok?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course." Jason flashes him a thumbs up, then goes back to folding laundry. "Whatever you want Harper, I'm no owner of you!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy flips him off. "That's an awful joke." As he steps out, he can hear Jason laugh behind him.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jason, let's go to the planetarium!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry Lian, I'm too busy at the moment." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy feels something cold fall into his stomach. He completely forgot, with how focused he ended on the conversation they had yesterday, but he never went back on the order he gave Jason, did he?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you sure?" Lian asks. She's making puppy eyes and pouting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy should say something here, he's aware of that, and yet, he doesn't, doesn't even look up from the game he's playing on his phone. He just waits. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry sweetheart." Jason tells her. "Why don't you ask your dad?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looks up at that. Lian frowns as she looks at him, but ends giving up with a sigh. "Daddy." She says. "Wanna go to the planetarium?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I would love to." He answers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's more than a bit selfish, but Roy can't deny it ends being a good day. They have fun, he points the constellations he knows to Lian, and once he runs out of them they start making up new figures, men with pirate hats and snakes eating pie, and by the time they walk out they're laughing so hard they can't breathe. </span>
</p><p><span>A bit later, as they walk home, Lian complains about Jason. "It's not like he had something better to do!"</span> <span>and "Did he need to clean the house </span><em><span>right now?" </span></em><span>It doesn't make him feel nearly as bad as it should, but also doesn't give him the satisfaction it would have before he started seriously wondering about the whole alive or not alive deal. </span></p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>"What do you think about Jason?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory puts down the book, and resting a finger over the sentence she was at, looks at her husband, lying next to her on the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think he's very helpful." She says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just that?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Um. He's also funny? And handsome, I guess." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But haven't you thought wether or not he is, you know, a person?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh." Kory raises an eyebrow. Retrieving her bookmark from the nightstand, she puts it on the page and closes the book. "No, I hadn't thought about that."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well… What do you think?" Roy asks again, prompting himself on his elbows. "Do you thinks he's alive or like, that he has feelings?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"As I said, I hadn't thought about it, but it seems unlikely." She replies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So you don't think he's a person."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I said it's unlikely, I didn't say I was sure." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But. Probably not?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's what unlikely means, Roy…" She sighs, putting a little more thought into it. Or, as much as she can when her brain is all but ready to go to sleep anyway. "I guess you could ask him, and see what he says." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He said he doesn't know."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah. Well, fuck."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, then I guess we're back at square one. I don't know if he's a person. But, it seems unlikely." She shrugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But… You still treat him as a person. Like, you tell him please and thank you, and good morning and good night, right?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, yes, why wouldn't I?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But you don't think he's a person, so shouldn't you be all like </span>
  <em>
    <span>'Servant, dance for me!'</span>
  </em>
  <span> since he doesn't have feelings?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Unlikely! I said unlikely! That's not the same as knowing!" She exclaims, slapping his arm. "I can't be sure if he's a person Roy, I didn't even consider it until now!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ok but, now that you're thinking about it, are you going to treat him any different? Since it's </span>
  <em>
    <span>unlikely</span>
  </em>
  <span> he's alive?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I… Don't think so?" She lets the book on the nightstand, then lets her head fall on the pillow. "To be honest I don't think I could stop talking to him as with anyone else even if I was sure he didn't have feelings." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh… Really?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I mean, I'm the kind of person who pleads with the printer when it breaks, you know that." She tries to explain. "And he acts as a person, he answers when I talk to him, I couldn't just… Order him around without feeling at least a little bit bad."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I… Guess that makes sense." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So, are you going to continue acting the same, no matter if he's alive or not?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I guess?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But doesn't that like, bring a bunch of moral implications if he did have feelings? Are you really not worried about that?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Roy, it's 11:34PM. All I wanted was to read a little before bed and you start asking me questions about the nature of consciousness and existence or whatever. I didn't even consider all this until right now. Go to sleep, let me think it over, ask me another day."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's a beat of silence. She thinks her husband might have fallen asleep when Roy whispers a quiet "Fine." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kory presses a finger over her eyelids, forcing the implants over her eyes to turn off and the room falls into darkness. "Love you." She whispers against Roy's back, leaving a kiss on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I love you too." He says back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gets a total of ten wonderful minutes of silence before Roy decides to speak again. "...Kory, are we slave owners?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh my God, Roy go to sleep!"</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>"Lian and I are going to the zoo." He says, hand on the door knob, Lian's pink backpack hanging from one shoulder. "Jason, do you want to come?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason looks up from whatever he was doing. Stares. "...Sure."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's awkward, or, at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>Roy</span>
  </em>
  <span> feels awkward. Jason and Lian on the other hand are all too happy to act like everything's just dandy, going from cage to cage, with Lian asking question and Jason looking it up on the internet whenever he doesn't know the answer. It's… Normal, almost domestic, and after a while he relaxes a bit, joining into reading fun facts on the plaques and arguing about what route to take. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A bit later on they find out there's a pet zoo, and Lian rushes in faster than Roy can get his wallet. He and Jason stand just outside the pen, looking at the kid pet a baby goat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy wanted to say something, he never quite forgot that, but it's only then, noticing it's a good moment, that he remembers his lines good enough to say them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So I have decided you're probably a person."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Um, thanks. Same to you?" Jason answers, one eyebrow raised, and then doesn't say anything else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy sighs. Yeah, ok, he deserves that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have been thinking about it ever since we got you, but only after that talk we had about human feelings and stuff did I start to </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>question it." He begins to explain. This is something he has to say, he thinks. Even if it ends being of not actual interest to Jason, he wants to say it. "I'm still not actually sure, but, for my own peace of mind… I realized I don't really </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>if other humans have feelings. I know I have, so I assume everyone else does too, there's no way to know for sure, but it would drive anyone mad to go on without the assumption. In my mind, I have been trying to shove you into the inert object category ever since we got you, but you act like a person and as much as I try not to my mind sees you as such, so it's easier to just assume you are. Who knows, as far as I know maybe you are."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's actually touching." Jason mutters, a smirk starting to form on his face. "I mean, getting people to think I'm </span>
  <em>
    <span>'alive'</span>
  </em>
  <span> is not one of my goals here or anything, but, I guess that's nice, means I'm mimicking well."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I also wanted to… Apologize for being an asshole, I dunno if you even care or noticed but-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I noticed." Jason says before Roy can finish his sentence. "And I accept your apology."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh." Roy blinks, a bit stunned at how easy that was. "Cool. And needles to say, feel free to hang out with Lian whenever you want."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's not needles to say, that's actually really needed, for me. Just so you know."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They fall back into silence after that, both of them just watching as one of the employees teaches Lian how to feed the animals. She's just started giving a handful of feed to an alpaca when Jason speaks again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Last weekend, Lian lied to you." He says. "She said she was going to play with a friend but that friend isn't free on weekends. We went to a park instead."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roy turns towards him, his eyebrows shot up. "What? Why?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think she just wanted to get out of the house." Jason shrugs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"To do what?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knows Lian's been stressed ever since Jade's arrest. For the first three days after moving with Roy she could barely eat, only really started to finish her meals because they kept getting her trash food she liked, and her school even called once or twice about she getting into fights with other kids. He and Kory talked about finding professional help, but before they could seriously consider it she suddenly got better, and the idea fell to the wayside. She </span>
  <em>
    <span>seemed</span>
  </em>
  <span> better, laughed more, was angry less often. But not even at her worst did she ever lie to them like this, so obviously he was wrong, maybe they should reconsider finding a children therapist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jason waits, staring at him, as if trying to read what Roy's thinking. Eventually he sighs and crosses his arms. "To talk, I guess." He says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"About what?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She likes talking about her mother."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh." Lian doesn't… Talk about Jade, not much anyway, not outside the sad occasional remarks. It's probably a bad thing, but he doesn't know how to start that conversation, or if pushing would make it worse. "And she… Talks to you about that?" Roy asks. Surprisingly, he finds he wants the answer to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Among other things." Jason answers with a shrug. "I get the impression she tells me the stuff she doesn't want you or Kory to know, maybe it's because I'm an android, I guess, so she doesn't feel like talking to someone and more like a diary." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jason, that's stupid." Roy tells him. Jason's eyes widen and he tips his head to one side, like he's surprised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh. It is?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It is." Roy nods. "I don't think Lian has the experience to conceptualize you as something other than a person. Hell, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>have come to realize I'm unable to conceptualize you as something other than a person."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hm."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You speak openly, and are someone new." He rests a hand on Jason's shoulder, just a moment. It's not uncomfortable or awkward like he feared, it feels right. "She probably just likes talking to someone separated from this mess." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, the reason doesn't really matter, but." Jason mutters, looking away, bowing his head. "Yeah. We talk." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What… Has she said, about Jade?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you really want to know I will tell you but I hope you realize it would be better to wait for her to do so herself."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But…" Roy's about to argue, but… He has a point. "No, you're right. Don't tell me." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So I guess what I'm getting at is…" Jason goes on. "Kids just have stuff they can't tell their parents but still want to talk about and that's what's happening. Your dad status isn't threatened or anything, so don't worry so much."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I wasn't worried, I just…" He sighs. Why is he even denying it? "Ok. Thanks for telling me, I'm sorry I got jealous or whatever." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, it's ok. Don't worry about it." Jason smiles, showing his teeth. Roy smiles back and there's a beat of silence until he speaks again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Still…. Jason, I meant it, when I said I'm going to think of you as a person. So, I guess, I know you're like, programed to obey me? But that feels wrong, feel free to ignore if I ever order you anything." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not sure if I can do that, but I'll keep that in mind." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And, like, if you have any complain or anything or an opinion on something or if there's something you want to ask for, you can say it and, you know, I would listen." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I actually do have two things to ask." Jason cuts his rambling and Roy looks back at him, not really having expected him to say anything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh? Oh. Ok, what's it?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"When you set my working area why did you exclude the balcony?!" Jason says, frowning and speaking with his hands, like this is something that's been bothering him for a while. "That's dumb, you do realize if Lian goes there I wouldn't be able to follow her, right? And the plants you keep there are dying. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dying</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Harper, I feel bad just looking at them."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's because the girl at the store said you would last longer if you stayed inside… Aaaand yes, I do realize now how that's totally useless with us letting you go outside as often as we do."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Update my working area, Harper."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Will do." He solemnly nods. Jason snorts and pushes him, Roy pushes back. Both of them roll their eyes "What's the second thing?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Turn off the swear filter."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Huh?" </span>
  <em>
    <span>The what?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Look, I know it's there because of the kid, but I'm </span>
  <em>
    <span>obviously </span>
  </em>
  <span>not going to swear in front of Lian and having it on all the time is going overboard. I can't even </span>
  <em>
    <span>think </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad words right now and it's honestly killing me inside a little. So </span>
  <em>
    <span>please.</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh. Sorry. Of course, you can turn it off."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You confirm it?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I confirm it."</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Oh thanks fucking God."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jason's shoulders drop and he presses a hand against his face, like he's just </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>relieved. Roy laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robots might not be so bad after all.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A comment, please a comment for this humble peasant, please</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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